Chaptet 4. "Friendly" fight

                                    

                                          
 Rewrite 03/2/2023
  "Hey Wafflez!" Cora shouted to the inkling girl, approaching the two, while the other slowly followed. The inkling girl gave Cora a big hug, which she asked to break from the giant bear hug. Lance walked next to Cora with a bright smile to the inklings, doing his best to give a proper introduction.
    "Oh you must be Lance!" Wafflez said in surprise looking up at him in awe. 
     "How do you know my name?" He asked her.
    "Well Cora told me about you! Woahhhh those ears look so soft, and your hair looks cute!" She smiled brightly, observing him like some pet. "This seems normal to inklings, I guess." Lance mentally shrugged to question while looking back at the girls.
    "Come on I'm starving!" The boy inkling called out to them, making his way up to them. "Nice to meet you Lance! Come on, foods on me."
    "By the way, I'm Fin." He held out his hand in front of Lance, he shook his hand in return with warm bright energy radiating off him.
     "A table for 4 please." Cora told the host, they were led by a jellyfish while they seated the group at a booth. They all sat down and began to search for the items they want to eat, with an appetizing menu.
    "Oh Lance wanna share the Fried Shrimp Spice Rings? You haven't had much of Inkopolis taste in food." She pointed to the picture that displayed the red crisp food.
     "That looks good! I'd love to try it" He told her, then flipped it to the back scanning the drink options. "So bright." The three inklings synced together staring at Lance and it sunshine energy. Not a worry in the world.
    "So wanna play some Turf war after this you three?" Flynn asked them.
   "Oh I'm so down! I got my Inkbrush in my locker at Ammo Knights!" Wafflez told with excitement. Lance and Cora chuckled with delight.
    "I got my dualies, there as well." Flynn told them.
  "I can try a different weapon, I got the cash for us Lance. This can be better practice for you!" Cora informed with Lance acknowledging her with a quick nod. They all agreed for a match of Turf War, after their lunch together.
...
    "Well that was delicious!" Wafflez waved her hands is the air, after a full lunch of a crisp delicious meal.
    "Ready for Turf war." Flynn making his way back to Deco Tower after him and Wafflez got their weapons.
  "We're ready!" Cora called to him, Lance standing close to Cora maybe a bit too close. In his defense, when you barely know anyone expect for one person, natural instinct is to stay with them. The team they were against, kept on staring at Lance, keeping his head low so he wouldn't make eye contact with any of them.
  "We're playing on stage Starfish Mainstage. Also.."  Cora leaned towards the octoling whispering in his ear. "Don't focus on them, they aren't worth wasting your energy. We got your back." She whispered covering her mouth so they wouldn't see her talking. 
 It was sudden, leaving the poor octo in a flush mess. Her warm breath whisking against his round ears and cheek, it felt nice? Shaking off the feeling he remained focus and gave a confident gesture towards her. "That's the spirit." She smiled to him.
   "Oh wow, we're the color Aqua!" Wafflez told them,  looking at each other's tentacles and the colored they shared together.
   "Ready....Set......." They all said, released from their spawn and covering turf on the way to the middle.
  Lance with an Octobrush this time, painted the right side of the spawn, Cora headed for the middle, Flynn went to the left of spawn, and Wafflez went with Cora. Lance painting the sides, and found a fight in the middle. Cora and Wafflez were trying to splat the Splattershot Pro, with their long range fire, Lance had to do something. 
    Wafflez got splatted by him while Cora got caught in enemy ink. Lance speeded ahead pushing the brush to make a path sneaking up from behind, and- Splat!
   "You ok?" He asked her while covering for her checking out the area to make sure no one surprise attacked the two. He picked her up, as the enemy ink color dissolved off her once stepping on their ink color.
    "Thanks for saving me. Must say that was impressive." She thanked him, moving forward towards the enemy side, leaving the poor octo frozen. They way her eyes slimed at him, like a cheeky fox, and sly smile. "She's so- I can't pick a word! Everything-?" Lance thought, but that would have to be put aside for now. 
"Get your head back into the game!" A male inkling with a slosher began aiming for Lance, then there was a Carbon Roller aiming for him too. Both were double teaming on him, and his other teammates were nowhere to be found.
    "Tch.. what's an octoling like you doing in a Turf war?" The Carbon roller person spoke, while Lance fought back and tried finding a quick way to make a run for it.
  "Don't they belong somewhere else!" The person with the slosher added to the nasty question. Lance looked down at the ink, feeling ashamed. These constant thoughts of others were really draining him. Flynn had splatted the person with the Splattershot pro, and assisted Cora with the other two jerks. They weren't very quiet about their conversation.
  "Are you ok Lance?" She asked him, Lance didn't move an inch. He just stared at the ink frozen in place. The area became overwhelming but soon enough the match ended, with Team Aqua winning.
  "Ugh.... I can't believe we were beaten by an octoling!" The Carbon Roller person shouted at Lance, with their little slosher friend nodding their head. The other two teammates glared at the childish behavior and formally apologize to Lance for their absurd behavior.
  "Lance-? Come on." Cora pulled his wrist sort of dragging him to the train station to return home. Home? "Can this place really be called home?" 
                                       ...
Cora and Lance entered the apartment, Cora stretched and yawned from the intense match. Lance just sat down on the format near the small table facing a tiny T.V., staring into his hands.
    "Are they right..." Lance spoke to Cora, she glanced over to him while seated on her bed.
 "What do you mean?" She asked furthermore to understand his view.
     "Do I really belong here? I don't want others to feel unsafe! That wouldn't be fair to ruin their home." He explained with his voice quickening and slight cracking. Cora looked at him with a shock, getting herself up from her own bed and walked to him.
  Warm arms embraced him from behind while turning his head looking at Cora.
      "Please don't think that, you have every right to be here. They just need to make more room and come to an understanding." Cora hugged him tighter, to give a clear sign her words were true.
       "I don't want you to leave me. I can't do anything without you. Your the bestest friend I could ever have." She whispered to his ears, he turned his body hugging her back.
     Lance loved this warmth, it felt so nice on his face, his chest, his whole body felt like fire. As if he were the sun himself.